First Manhattan

Last updated
First Manhattan
IndustryFinancial Services, Asset Management, Wealth Management
Founded1964 (1964)
Headquarters
New York City
Key people
Robert Gottesman (Executive Chairman), Zac Wydra (CEO), Alvaro Spinola (CFO/COO)
ProductsInvestment management, Private investment funds, and ETFs
AUM US$31+ billion (2024)
Number of employees
130
Website www.firstmanhattan.com

First Manhattan (FM) is a wealth management firm founded in 1964 [1] by a group of financial industry executives led by the late David "Sandy" Gottesman. FM remains independently owned and operated, with operating subsidiaries that include an SEC-registered investment adviser and a broker-dealer registered with FINRA. FM is currently led by Zac Wydra, CEO and Portfolio Manager, and Alvaro Spinola, CFO/COO. [2]

Contents

FM is based in New York City.

Background

FM provides investment advisory and wealth planning services to high-net-worth individuals, as well as to partnerships, trusts, retirement accounts, and institutional clients. The firm manages investments on a fully discretionary basis for accounts ranging from under $1 million to over $100 million. The firm currently manages in excess of $31 billion, [3] utilizing a research-driven, long-term, value-oriented investment approach. [4]

The firm's clients are significant owners of Berkshire Hathaway stock, [5] and the firm has established a reputation for utilizing investing strategies similar to that espoused by Warren Buffett. [6] The firm's founder, David Gottesman, was an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway and maintained a long-standing friendship with Buffett. [7] The firm's investment approach is to establish long term positions in portfolio companies, most often relying on fundamental analysis and targeting value in the public equity and fixed-income markets of the United States.

Leadership

David Gottesman founded the firm in 1964. [7] Mr. Gottesman was a member of the Board of Directors of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. He was a director of the Securities Industry Association. Mr. Gottesman passed on September 28, 2022, at the age of 96. [8]

Robert Gottesman, David Gottesman's son, joined First Manhattan in 1987 and is currently the firm's Executive Chairman and a Portfolio Manager. [9]

The firm's Management Committee, led by CEO Zac Wydra and CFO/COO Alvaro Spinola, is responsible for the management and day-to-day operations of the firm. [4]

Recent Developments

The firm launched an exchange-traded fund, FMC Excelsior Focus Equity ETF (ticker: FMCX), an actively managed ETF that invests in First Manhattan's highest-conviction ideas driven by its rigorous, fundamentals-based research. Himayani Puri is the Portfolio Manager for FMCX and a Partner and the Head of Research at FM. [10] [11]

Additionally, MRJ Capital, a $168M AUM registered investment adviser founded by Matt Greenberg, joined First Manhattan in March 2022. [12]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Buffett</span> American investor and philanthropist (born 1930)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire Hathaway</span> American multinational conglomerate holding company

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References

  1. Schroeder, Alice (2008), "29 (footnote six)", The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, Random House, ISBN   9780553905496
  2. "Our Team". First Manhattan. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  3. "About First Manhattan". First Manhattan. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  4. 1 2 "Home". firstmanhattan.com.
  5. "Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A) Institutional Holdings". Nasdaq . Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  6. "CORRECTING and REPLACING First Manhattan Reminds Vivus Shareholders That Time is Running out to Save Vivus". Business Wire. July 8, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "#1054 David Gottesman". Forbes . Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  8. Hagerty, James R. (2022-09-30). "David S. Gottesman, Friend of Warren Buffett, Has Died at Age 96". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  9. "Executive Profile Robert William Gottesman". Bloomberg Business. September 1, 2015.
  10. "First Manhattan Co. Launches Inaugural Actively Managed ETF—FMC Excelsior Focus Equity ETF (Ticker: FMCX)". www.businesswire.com. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  11. "Puri, Himayani". First Manhattan. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  12. "MRJ Capital Joins First Manhattan Co". www.businesswire.com. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2023-05-31.